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Ron Littlepage: No, not all of us are OK with dredging the river

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Memo to Mayor Alvin Brown: Just because you say something that doesn’t make it so.

After a visit to Washington where a federal panel signed off last week on the proposal to gouge another seven feet out of the bed of the St. Johns River channel, Brown told this to a Times-Union reporter:

“It just shows we have a united front. It’s just so important for our city, and we got the vote of confidence today.”

Hanging out with the top dogs of JaxPort and the JAX Chamber may have given Brown the impression of a “united front,” but it’s not necessarily so.

There are plenty of people who question the economic wisdom of spending $695 million to deepen the channel from the current 40 feet to 47 feet on the gamble that more jobs will come with that startling huge investment.

Then there are those who are fearful of the environmental impact of the deep dredge, people who are tired of seeing the health of the St. Johns River sacrificed for profits.

If the deep dredge is given final approval, Brown’s vision of a “united front” will crack with lawsuits that will be filed.

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Brown and his administration get kicked around a lot (see above), which is typical for any mayor.

One thing his administration has grabbed onto with enthusiasm, however, is the fight against blight.

Originally spurred on by City Councilwoman Denise Lee, other council members and the administration are all in on the effort to clean up the city.

During a meeting last month, administration officials outlined a multi-level plan attacking the problem, including cameras to catch people dumping illegally, stakeouts for the same purpose and an event planned for later in March to rid the city of old tires that litter city rights-of-way and neighborhoods.

That brought this compliment from Lee: “You’re not just talking the talk; you’re walking the walk.”

Kind words also came from Hosea Small, who owns property in low-income areas where in the past he had difficulty in getting the city to respond to complaints of trash. Not so with calls to the city now, he said.

“I saw immediate response,” Small said. “It’s been happening on a regular basis. Whatever you are doing, keep doing it.”

Good job.

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For what’s now approaching three years, the Brown administration has been working on reorganizing city government.

Every mayor does it, and it’s frustrating for those trying to get an apple-to-apple comparison in budget expenditures when departments keep changing.

Congratulations are in order, however. The administration received City Council approval last Tuesday for what hopefully is a term we won’t hear again for a long time — reorg.

A few council members did get in a few parting shots about original projections that the reorg would save a bundle of money being hocus-pocus, but if it delivers on more transparency as promised, it’s a good thing.